Spoil me to keep me

The sluggish national economy is slowing salary increases in the law profession, giving rise to “soft” benefits—such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting options and concierge services—as a way to attract and retain employees. Panelists Mark Downey of Epstein, Becker & Green, P.C. in Dallas; Joni Andrioff of Jones Day in Chicago; and Angelique Strong Marks of Handleman Company, Troy, Mich. highlighted the growth of this trend in “Want to Keep Me? Spoil Me, Pamper Me and Other Innovative Employee Retention Techniques,” a program presented by the ABA Section of Business Law committees on Career and Practice Development, Business Practice Leadership and the Young Lawyer Forum at its spring meeting in Dallas this past month.

In addition to a tougher economy, firms cite a growing interest among lawyers in enhancing their work-life balance as another reason soft benefits are on the rise. One of the newest of these perks is offering concierge services, freeing more time for employees during non-work hours.

Concierge services enable employees to accomplish routine personal tasks during the work day, including dry cleaning pickup, gift shopping, car maintenance and appointment-making. Industries where occupations are more difficult to recruit such as nursing, paralegal and emergency first response are at the forefront in providing these benefits. Often times, the cost of offering them is a lot less than the recruiting costs associated with refilling a position. Moreover, many firms believe that concierge services may actually boost the bottom line by allowing employees to better focus on their work and devote more time to the firm.

Most firms outsource concierge services, but another tactic involves leasing office spaces in buildings that provide some of these amenities on site or within the immediate area. Miami-Memorial Healthcare System, General Mills and Ernst & Young, for example, are companies that currently offer such incentives. It’s been reported that employees of these businesses can get their oil changed, drop their clothes off at the dry cleaner, mail personal packages and have their vacations planned without ever leaving the comforts of their offices.

Over the past few years, the need for benefit providers has grown so much that it sparked a new industry. The International Concierge and Errand Association, a global professional agency, lists having more than 500 member businesses across 20 countries.

What does this mean for you? Perhaps someone will be picking up your dry cleaning in the very near future.

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